Red Path
by DearSweetPapercut
Summary: "I'll miss you too..." Greg paused running his tongue over his lips. "...You are coming back though, right?"


So once again writing to counter act the sickening level of Morgan/Greg scenes in that episode- Am I the only one that notices they have no chemistry and their scenes seem to completely flat line?

And we know they are both capable of tension – 13 seasons of Sara/Greg eye sex and Morgan/Hodges relationship prove that...

Anyway this turned out more friend-ship than romance but I still like it.

Enjoy – please review.

**Red Path**

The cigarette smoke clouded her vision as Sara sat on Greg's front porch waiting him to appear as the day light slowly became brighter around her. If she was honest she didn't know what she was doing there. And if she was honest she felt foolish to think that Greg would be there to welcome her with open arms. He had a life of his own, he had friends and potential romances, and he wasn't just her shoulder to lean on. She opened her third can of beer glancing at the empty cans that were gathering at her side attempting not to think too much about her choice.

The headlight from his truck seemed to blind her as she leant forward studying the person in the passenger seat. Just a silhouette of a person was vaguely visible and she strained her eyes desperate to get a glimpse of his companion. It didn't occur to her at first that it could be a woman; she prided herself on being closer to Greg than anyone else. They were best friends, or at least they had been. Surely he would have told her?

As her eyes began to pick out shapes and colours through the glare it became increasingly obvious who he was with, it also became obvious why she hadn't been told. It was Morgan, the one person she knew had the potential to get as close to him as she had or perhaps even closer...

Jealousy suddenly wound a tight vicious knot in her stomach as she ran through a list of reasons why she could be there. Her envy was uncalled for; Greg was free to see who he chose it had been something they had clarified very quickly in their relationship. They would never be romantically involved and that left them free agents. In the past it agreement had always benefited her but these days Sara was freer than she had planned to be at this stage in her life.

A little too late it occurred to her that Morgan would probably have the same questions about why she was sitting on his porch at this time of the day with beer and acting like it was the only place she should be in the world. Greg studied her nervously as he approached, the concern on his expression was almost impossible to mask.

"Sara... Are you okay?" He asked taking in the empty beer cans and the cigarette buds that had collected by her side. He had seen her like this before- in the few months before she had left Las Vegas last time.

"Yeah... I'm fine. I'm leaving for Frisco... I just wanted to say goodbye..." She shrugged doing her best to act disinterested. But it was more than obvious to everything that this visit had meant more than that.

"You're leaving?" Greg frowned attempting to understand what it was Sara was saying.

"Old case, guy's up for parole. I'm not going to stand aside and let that bastard be let out on to the streets again." She replied spitefully taking the last drag of her cigarette before stubbing it out adding it to the pile she had already started.

"You should have called...I would have come straight from work." Greg informed her moving closer almost completely forgetting the woman next to him.

"Its fine, you should be going out, having fun..." Sara smiled pulling herself to her feet, dusting off her jeans. It was as if the air stilled as the true meanings of her words settled in, her eyes meeting Morgan's as she stood awkwardly aside watching the encounter between old friends. "I should go anyway- lots of packing to do"

"I can't let you leave without saying goodbye... we were just getting breakfast, you don't need to leave." Greg stepped even closer towards Sara, his eyes softening slightly the confusing disappearing for a moment.

"I wouldn't want to intrude... It's okay; we can catch up when I get back" Sara picked up what was left of her six pack.

"You must have a lot of stuff to take, going back home...and all..." Morgan added for fear of having being forgotten amongst their interactions.

"Yeah, why don't you wait here and I'll drive Morgan home then I'll help you out?" Greg offered with a soft smile not realising just what he had done.

"No... You don't need to do that" Sara shook her head.

"You know what? I'll walk...it's only a couple of blocks away. You two...obviously need some space." Morgan announced holding her hands up as if she was giving up.

"Thanks - come on Sara let's go inside - it's getting to bright out here we wouldn't want to turn to dust" Greg smiled at the blonde before turning his attention back to Sara.

They moved inside the silence seeping into their pores as their found they were strangely forcing their interactions.

"Can I get you anything?" Greg asked indicating to the kitchen but Sara simply shrugged realising that perhaps the best way would have been to simply just say why she was there, what it was she wanted from him.

"I...I didn't want to be alone" She shrugged looking towards him for judgement expecting a laugh or some kind of mockery but Greg smiled at her. He moved towards her pulling her into his arms, the warmth of his body surrounding her, the smell of his skin making her feel dizzy. It felt like such a long time since someone had held her in that way.

"What's wrong?" He muttered into her hair pulling her even closer against him until it felt like their heart beats were in sync.

"Everything" Sara muttered with a laugh against his neck; her fingers traced up and down his back, moving over his shoulders blades and the strong muscles beneath his skin. Greg's embrace seemed to remind her that she was still alive, that she didn't have to numb herself to all the feelings she had attempted to bury.

"Talk to me" Greg instructed her stroking her hair before letting her go leading her by the hand to the sofa. They sat cross legged facing each other the atmosphere settling and somehow it was as if they hadn't drifted apart at all.

"The Lyle Brinks case... It, it was the first real time that I saw exactly what human beings are capable of doing to each other." Sara paused taking a deep breath. "We knew his patterns, and we thought that we'd got him. And the night we brought our suspect in, he assaulted another woman... Francesca Lest was a friend of a friend, at lunch the day before I'd told her that it'd be okay to go out, we were so close to getting the guy. And she was the next to be attacked..."

"Sara... that wasn't your fault" Greg soothed, taking her hand gently in his own.

"I know, I've been told that enough times...But it doesn't change what happened..." She shook her head, pressing her lips together "And now there is a chance he'll be let out on parole. He'll do it again- sociopaths like that...don't stop"

"I wish there was something I could do..." Greg said empathetically, meeting her gaze.

"You are..." Sara smiled softly. He brushed the stray strand of hair away from her face tucking it behind her ear, pressing a soft kiss to her forehead. "Can...I sleep with you?"

Greg quickly met her eye, taken aback by her suggestion as he attempted to gauge what she meant. The colour rushed to Sara's cheek as she shook her head before quickly correcting herself. "I mean, here...I mean sleep 'sleep' not... that" They had shared a bed before- in times of crisis they found comfort in each other's forms but it had always remained an arrangement they never spoke of.

"Of course" Greg gave a small laugh. "I was about to say, I'm not that easy Sara, you'd have to wine and dine me first..."

"I'm going to miss you..." She beamed leaning forward.

"I'll miss you too..." Greg paused running his tongue over his lips. "...You are coming back though, right?"

"I am coming back" Sara nodded firmly pressing a kiss to his cheek. "I wouldn't want to abandon you... I know how lost you are without me"

"You have no idea..." Greg smiled squeezing her hand, realising that perhaps Sara would never know how true that statement was.

**The End **


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